Where I find the words Probate or Letters of Administration, what do they mean?
These are words for documents in English law relating to wills. In the registers of testaments they relate to Scottish people who died in England or British colonies abroad. If they left a will probate was granted by the English courts. If they died intestate letters of administration would be issued by the court for the appointment of executors. These documents occur mainly in the registers of Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Some are copied into the register, but others are merely noted as having a copy lodged with the court. These copies, starting in 1858, are in the records series of Copy Probates Resealed in Edinburgh Sheriff Court (SC70/6), which have also been digitised. If the probate or letters of administration document is only on one page in the register this indicates that the full text is probably in the Copy Probates Resealed series (SC70/6).The information in the register will give little more than the name, place and date of death of the deceased, with a date of registration wi
